Category: News
Sexual assaults on children are understandably abhorrent to society and juries and taint a defendant’s reputation for years afterwards. However, there are many factors that can lead young witnesses to make false statements. Children are susceptible to a wide range of factors and can be manipulated by prosecutors. A case in point is that of…
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has reiterated his determination to make violence against police officers a hate crime after a law enforcement officer was shot dead in San Antonio. Detective Benjamin Marconi, a 50-year-old police officer, was shot in the head on Sunday after he pulled over a vehicle near San Antonio police headquarters building in…
The Texas Department of Public Safety has classified thousands of arrests on the Mexican border as “high-threat criminals” as it justifies additional measures to strengthen border security. However, an article in the Associated Press has taken issue with the classification, pointing out drunk drivers, low-level drug offenders and people who have not paid child support…
Clowns are no longer a laughing matter after creepy clown threats have been made across the country including in Texas. Although many have been hoaxes, there have been 12 arrests nationwide linked to clown activities, reported the New York Times. But has clown paranoia got out of control? The clown episodes have divided opinions with…
Four cities in Texas have ranked among the most dangerous in the country in terms of crimes committed against women. The data was released this month by the insurance and management site valuepenguin.com. It stated one in six women will be a victim of rape or attempted rape at some time in her life. The…
For almost 100 years, Texas has classified 17-year-olds who are charged with crimes as adults. That may be about to change as lawmakers consider redefining who is classified as an adult in the criminal justice system. The state’s politicians are now considering increasing the juvenile age to 18, reported CBS. That would mean those under…
A former accountant from Dallas who murdered his two daughters in 2001, has been moved from death row as a fight goes on to prove his mental incompetency. The Dallas Morning News reported on how John Battaglia had been due to be executed in March but won a stay of execution in the 5th U.S….
Texas has an unenviable record for wrongful convictions. When a defendant is wrongfully jailed he or she is not the only one to lose out. A report this month reveals the state has paid 101 men and women who were wrongfully jailed $93.6 million over the last 25 years. That’s money that could have been…
Society takes a dim view of drug offenders but sentences of life in prison seem unduly Draconian when their offenses didn’t involve violence. This certainly appears to be the view of President Barack Obama whose office has commuted the sentences of two drug offenders from Texas. The offenders whose sentences have been commuted are Douglas…
Dallas criminal defense lawyer Mick Mickelsen discusses complexities of criminal cases involving alleged hate crimes. Dallas police are investigating a recent Oak Lawn area attack as a purported hate crime. Local media reports say there has been a string of reported attacks and robberies in the area since last summer, and possibly more that have…